The App State volleyball team hosted the Mountaineer Classic over the weekend at the Holmes Convocation Center, concluding the tournament with a 2-1 record.
The Mountaineers began the classic with a dominant 3-0 sweep against William & Mary. The first set saw four lead changes early on, with App State gaining an 11-10 advantage. A series of attacking errors from the Tribe helped the Mountaineers maintain and extend their lead, ultimately securing the set with a 25-18 victory. The second set also featured a back-and-forth battle for the lead, reaching an 11-all tie. Following this tie, additional attacking errors allowed the Black and Gold to regain control. Freshman middle blocker Nevaeh Hays contributed a kill, sparking a six-point run for the Mountaineers, who went on to win the set 25-16. The third set proved to be another close contest, tied at 19-all. Junior outside hitter Bella Hutchens recorded two crucial kills, as did senior right side hitter Delanie Grevengoed, helping the Black and Gold finalize the match with a 25-19 set win.
On Saturday, App State faced North Florida University in a hard-fought match, ultimately losing 2-3. The Mountaineers started strong, maintaining the lead throughout the first set to win 25-16. They continued their momentum into the second set, securing a 25-14 victory. However, the Ospreys responded, winning the third set 26-24 and the fourth set 27-25, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set. The final set was closely contested, with the teams tying four times before North Florida took the set with a 15-11 win.
App State bounced back from the loss with a 3-1 victory against Western Carolina University. Sophomore outside hitter Charlotte Thompson led the Mountaineers in the first set with five kills, guiding App State to a 25-18 win. The team continued its strong performance with a commanding 25-10 victory in the second set. Western Carolina managed to respond in the third set, winning 25-21. However, the Black and Gold closed out the match in the fourth set. Thompson finalized the win with her 17th kill of the match, giving App State a 25-15 victory.
Looking ahead, the App State volleyball team will travel to North Carolina State University to play on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
